Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp: A Sobering Day Trip from Berlin

History leaves scars, and some places wear them more visibly than others. As a child, my 6th-grade history lessons were filled with stories of World War II, but understanding the depth of its horrors was impossible at that age. I was taught right from wrong, yet the sheer scale of the atrocities defied comprehension. The “why” seemed unfathomable when the “how” was so disturbingly clear.

In 8th grade, I traveled to Europe and visited a concentration camp. The experience was overwhelming, a grotesque and haunting confrontation with the past. I remember thinking, How could anything like this have happened when the evidence of its horrors was laid out so plainly for all to see? And yet it did and sadly, history has a way of repeating itself.

On my most recent trip to Germany, I had the opportunity to visit another concentration camp—Sachsenhausen. I wondered if seeing it as an adult would be just as harrowing as it was in my youth. SPOILER: It was even more so. With age comes a deeper understanding, not just of history but of the world we live in today, a world still vulnerable to the same dangerous ideologies.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Oranienburg, Germany

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, located just 35 kilometers north of Berlin in Oranienburg, is a chilling testament to the depths of human cruelty. I visited on a quiet morning, stepping into a place that had witnessed unspeakable suffering. The weight of history settled over me with every step.

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.)

Basic Info

Sachsenhausen is one of the most accessible concentration camps for visitors in Germany. The site is open year-round, offering self-guided tours, audio guides, and guided workshops. Admission is free, though guided tours come at a small fee. To get there from Berlin, take the S-Bahn S1 to Oranienburg, followed by a short bus ride or a 20-minute walk to the memorial site.

Opening Hours: Summer: 8:30am ~ 6:00pm; Winter: 8:30am ~ 4:30pm
Admission: Free
Guided Tour Fees: From €50 (German) to €110 (foreign language)
Transport: S1 to Oranienburg, then bus 804 or 821

Walking Through History

Stepping into the camp, the first thing that struck me was its unsettling symmetry. Designed by SS architects, Sachsenhausen was meant to be the “perfect” concentration camp, a blueprint for terror. Tower A looms at the entrance, its gates bearing the infamous phrase Arbeit macht frei (“Work sets you free”), a cruel deception for those imprisoned inside.

The camp held political prisoners, Soviet POWs, Jews, and other marginalized groups. Over 200,000 people passed through Sachsenhausen between 1936 and 1945, enduring forced labor, inhumane conditions, and mass executions. More than 30,000 never left alive.

I genuinely believe that visiting a concentration camp should be a requirement. It forces you to confront history in a way that no classroom or textbook ever could. It is not an experience that is easy, or one that anyone would call enjoyable, but it is absolutely necessary.

As I walked through the barracks and saw the remnants of torture, starvation, and cruelty, I couldn’t help but reflect on the world today. The rise of extremism, discrimination, and violence against marginalized communities echoes the early warning signs of history. Sachsenhausen stands as a stark warning: we cannot afford to forget.

As we walked from the standing barracks to the back of the camp, we stopped at a huge obelisk that reflects the government of East Germany at the time it was constructed. The obelisk, erected in 1961, was part of the East German government’s efforts to shape the narrative of the past.

It stands tall, adorned with eighteen red triangles—symbols worn by political prisoners, particularly communists, under the Nazi regime. Information at the camp details how each prisoner wore a simple to easily denote why they were there. The design and placement of the memorial underscore how the East German authorities emphasized the suffering of political prisoners over other groups.

While the obelisk serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of those who endured Sachsenhausen, it also highlights how history is often shaped by those who tell it.

Standing before it, I was struck by the layers of interpretation, commemoration, and political influence that surround sites like this. The past is never just the past, it is constantly reframed, retold, and sometimes distorted to serve contemporary narratives.

One of the most harrowing sites is Station Z, the execution center built in 1942. Here, prisoners were executed by shooting, hanging, or gassing. The crematoria remain, stark and silent, reminders of the thousands whose lives ended there.

The infamous “Genickschussbaracke” (neck-shooting barrack) was another brutal execution method, where unsuspecting prisoners were shot in the back of the head under the guise of medical exams.

One of the most disturbing realities of Sachsenhausen was the medical experimentation on prisoners. Lethal mustard gas experiments, forced endurance tests for Nazi military boots, and cruel drug trials marked the suffering of countless inmates. The Nazis even operated Operation Bernhard, one of history’s largest counterfeiting schemes, forcing prisoners to forge British banknotes to destabilize the economy.

At the heart of the camp, the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum provides a deeper, more tangible connection to the experiences of those imprisoned here. Established in 1993 after German reunification, the museum curates a collection of artifacts that illustrate life inside the camp.

It holds remnants of resilience and suffering, artwork created by prisoners, scale models of the camp, historical documents, and even a haunting 30-centimeter-high pile of gold teeth, extracted from victims by the Nazis.

Personal items, like a delicate flower basket crafted by Krystyna Zajac from wire while working on an assembly line, and handmade birthday cards add a human element to the visit.

Visitor Regulations

These visitor regulations serve to familiarize visitors with the distinct character of the Memorial and the requirements regarding appropriate conduct when visiting. The Memorial serves to commemorate the victims of mass crimes under National Socialism as well as those persecuted under the Stalinist repressive apparatus and especially those people who suffered and died here.

Please keep in mind that these grounds are also a cemetery and that the peace of the dead must be honored. This also means that visitors are expected to behave in a way that is worthy of the character of this Memorial site. This includes treating all people who visit and work at the Memorial with consideration and respect. In particular, people are asked to refrain from any appearance or conduct that could hinder or disturb commemoration, mourning, or thought, or where visitors feel provoked or restricted.

Please support the Memorial by observing some rules of conduct:

Wear appropriate attire that reflects the dignity of the site.
Avoid group interactions that are not in keeping with a commemorative site.
Do not smoke.
Do not use flash photography or any other light source.
Do not touch any relics or objects. They are of irreplaceable value. Visitors are liable for any damage that they cause.
It is not advisable for children under the age of 12 to visit the Memorial site, the museums, and the former crematoriums.

The following conduct is absolutely not permitted:

Any inhuman, violence-glorifying, discriminatory, racist, or National Socialist expressions or behavior.
Wearing or displaying clothing, tattoos, objects, and symbols that are generally considered to express a politically extremist message or to be potentially discriminatory. It is forbidden, in particular, to wear or display symbols of parties or associations referred to in § 86 Paragraph 1 Nos. 1, 2, and 4 of the Criminal Code.
The use of loudspeakers.
The operation of flying drones.
The operation of vehicles of any kind (except for wheelchairs and walking aids).
Bringing animals, except for assistance dogs with the appropriate identification.

Why You Should Visit Sachsenhausen

A day trip from Berlin to Sachsenhausen is a powerful, sobering experience that forces visitors to confront the darkest parts of history. If you’re in Berlin, make time for this visit. It’s not easy, but it’s important. It is up to us to remember, to educate, and to stand against the forces of hatred and division in our own time.

Did you like this post? Pin IT!